Wolves win team award

April 03, 2007

Matt Hammer thinks big. The former Northern State standout men's basketball player is now an assistant for the Wolves. He was recently asked to reflect on his senior season and last year's team that posted a 27-6 record and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen round of the national tournament. "We were close to an Elite Eight berth," Hammer said. "That makes these guys on the team this year work even harder. We were a lot closer to winning a national title than some people might think with Winona winning it all last year." It is that kind of thinking that helped NSU advance to the North Central Region championship where Winona ended the Wolves' season. But that NSU team - led by seniors Hammer (Elkton), Aaron Busack (Redwood Falls, Minn.), Adam Grant (Berthold, N.D.) and Bjoern Schoo (Germany) - is not forgotten. This week, the South Dakota Sports Writers Association named the 2005-06 Wolves as the college men's team of the year. The statewide award covers all college sports. "We feel good about this award for a couple of reasons," said NSU coach Don Meyer, whose head assistant is Randy Baruth. "Number one, it is a statewide award. Sometimes it feels like no one knows what you are doing up in this part of the state. "Second, it is team of the year. We want to be the best team on our schedule, and I am not talking about won-loss records. When you are in a town like Aberdeen, you have a lot better chance of becoming a team than in other places. Our kids observe what it means to be a team every day by just living in this community and seeing how people help and treat each other." Meyer said the award is also a reflection on the program and its past legendary coaches like Bob Wachs and current NSU athletic director Bob Olson. "This award is a tribute to all the great teams Northern has had in the past," Meyer said. "Nothing is done in a vacuum. You always have the opportunity to learn from past teams in your program." Meyer said a coach has to rebuild her or his team every year. "That is what we are trying to do right now, build a team," he said. "We are learning to help each other on defense and how to help each other get open on offense." Hammer said it is special to win a team award like this. "We all played a lot of years together, especially the seniors and juniors on that team. It was really fun to play with guys who know where you are always going to be on the court and you know where they are going to be. "Going through four or five years of playing together like that on a team is something that we will never forget. It creates a lifetime bond that can never be broken." Busack, Grant and Hammer combined for 4,436 points, 92 wins and three national tournament appearances in their careers. In just two years, the 7-foot Schoo scored 410 points. - SU led the nation in Division II attendance last year as well, drawing more than 70,000 fans to Wachs Arena during the season. - ews-sports editor John Papendick: jpapendick@aberdeennews.com Saturday, December 30, 2006 Questions or Comments? Call Sports Editor John Papendick at (605) 622-2323 or 1-800-925-4100, during the day, or Ron Feickert, (605) 622-2307 or 1-800-925-4100, evenings. Scoreboard 2-4 High School Basketball 3-4 TV/Entertainment 5 Comics 6